At noon I had a good observation by which our latitude was 12 degrees 46 minutes south, whence the foregoing situations may be considered as determined with some exactness.  The island first seen bore west-south-west five leagues.  This, which I have called the island Direction, will in fair weather always show the channel, from which it bears due west, and may be seen as soon as the reefs from a ship’s masthead:  it lies in the latitude of 12 degrees 51 minutes south.  These however are marks too small for a ship to hit unless it can hereafter be ascertained that passages through the reef are numerous along the coast which I am inclined to think they are, in which case there would be little risk even if the wind was directly on the shore.

My longitude made by dead reckoning from the island Tofoa to our passage through the reef is 40 degrees 10 minutes west.  Providential channel, I imagine, must lie very nearly under the same meridian with our passage, by which it appears we had out-run our reckoning 1 degree 9 minutes.

We now returned God thanks for his gracious protection, and with much content took our miserable allowance of a 25th of a pound of bread and a quarter of a pint of water for dinner.

CHAPTER 16.

Progress to the Northward along the Coast of New Holland.  Land on different Islands in search of Supplies.

May 1789.

As we advanced within the reefs the coast began to show itself very distinctly in a variety of high and low land, some parts of which were covered with wood.  In our way towards the shore we fell in with a point of a reef which is connected with that towards the sea, and here we came to a grapnel and tried to catch fish but had no success.  The island Direction at this time bore south three or four leagues.  Two islands lay about four miles to the west by north, and appeared eligible for a resting-place, if for nothing more; but on our approach to the nearest island it proved to be only a heap of stones, and its size too inconsiderable to shelter the boat.  We therefore proceeded to the next, which was close to it and towards the main.  On the north-west side of this I found a bay and a fine sandy point to land at.  Our distance was about a quarter of a mile from a projecting part of the main, which bore from south-west by south to north-north-west three-quarters west.  We landed to examine if there were any signs of the natives being near us:  we saw some old fireplaces but nothing to make me apprehend that this would be an unsafe situation for the night.  Everyone was anxious to find something to eat, and it was soon discovered that there were oysters on the rocks for the tide was out; but it was nearly dark and only a few could be gathered.  I determined therefore to wait till the morning, when I should better know how to proceed, and I directed that one half of our company should sleep on shore and the other half in the boat.  We would gladly have made a fire but, as we could not accomplish it, we took our rest for the night, which happily was calm and undisturbed.